Yarned and Dangerous

At the outset of Hartwell’s promising debut, the first in her Tangled Web mystery series, Josie Blair reluctantly leaves the world of New York City fashion for her hometown of Dorset Falls, Conn., to assist her childless great-uncle Eben Lloyd, who’s recovering from the car accident that killed his wife, Cora. Uncle Eb, whom Josie barely remembers, is unpleasant; his dog, Jethro, frightens her tuxedo cat, Coco; and she’s expected to take care of the fearsome chickens at Eb’s farmhouse. Josie prefers the task of closing Cora’s yarn shop, Miss Marple Knits, located in the dying downtown, and selling its contents, but more than one shop patron want to buy the business from Eb. Josie is sure that Cora, someone she never met, wouldn’t approve. When Josie later finds one of the would-be buyers dead in a pile of cashmere yarn, she turns amateur sleuth. A section of knitting patterns rounds out this appealing crafting cozy. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency. (Dec.)